Villanova Takes Men's and Women's Big East Cross Country Crowns

Nov 1, 2011

The Villanova women, the reigning NCAA titlists, earned their fourth consecutive Big East team laurels as Sheila Reid and Bogdaa Mimic placed first and second in the championships in Louisville. It was the third straight Big East win for Reid, who is the reigning

individual champ. "It took a complete team effort for us to win today and that is exactly what happened," observed Coach Gina Procaccio. "Everyone had to set up for us and I am so proud of our runners for getting their job done. It was a great team effort and that is what makes this championship so fulfilling for us." Villanova had 54 points to 63 for runner-up Providence (low score wins in cross country). (photo of Sheila Reid by Victah Sailer)MoreVillanova's men won their first Big East Team title since 2002 by a huge margin, with 43 points to runner-up Georgetown's 94 and third-place Louisville's 96. "We had to beat some terrific teams but I knew that we had the talent to get the job done and our depth and talent was shining," declared Villanova Coach Marcus O'Sullivan. "Every team that has a chance to win is going to come in fighting hard for the title and we knew that. Guys that have run average all year all of a sudden step up and have great results. That is something we come to expect from year to year." Matthew Gibney (fifth), Keith Capecci (sixth), and Ryan Sheridan (eighth) were the keys to Villanova's win. Eric Finan of Cincinnati was the individual Big East winner, with David McCarthy of Providence second. More

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